Rocky Road to Love
by Drkjester
Summary: R&A pairing. One shot fellings explored story.


Ranma 1/2 Fanfic  
Drkjester - author

I owe thanks to the creator of Ranma 1/2 for giving me something great to work with and I can only hope to have done it justice. This will also be part of an interlinking story set that will be multiple chapters long. If the response is good I will work hard to get the next one done soon otherwise I will take my time as writing is just fun for me. Please post any comments good or bad you have as I like both praise and critisim to help improve my writing ability.

**Summers Heart Begins**

Ranma sat on the windowsill to Akane's room. Soon she would come up and get ready for bed. She had caught up with him in the dojo earlier and asked if he would have some time to talk to her later. He knew from the look on her face that things had been strained between them for a while now.

She had been pushing him about what he had said at Jusenkyo after his fight with the Phoenix clan. He knew that she had heard him, but wasn't sure if was a dream or if he had really said it. And his reluctance to give her a straight answer had caused more then one bump on his head.

Emotions and discussing them had never been Ranma's strong suit. Fight Amazon warriors, perverted old men and escape the clutches of his other fiancés he could handle, but to tell Akane how he felt about her when he wasn't a hundred percent himself, turned him into a blathering idiot.

The door to her room opened and she jumped as she saw a figure in the window. She held her anger back as she realized it was Ranma and a bit or peace grew insider her as she realized he had kept his word to meet her later and talk.

"Umm, hi Akane." Ranma looked meek yet his trademark ease as he balanced on her narrow windowsill. "You said we needed to talk. So umm what up?" He was looking at his hands as he said this nervousness shot throughout him.

Still in her bathrobe she realized, her temper began to flare. "Look Ranma we need to talk, but could you wait in the hall for a second."

Stepping down from the windowsill Ranma said "Umm sure."

"I just need to get dressed real quick so please just wait in the hallway?"

Ranma eased up a bit when he realized she wasn't mad at him. "No problem Akane."

Akane changed into her pajamas quickly letting the cotton embrace her skin in the night air. She opened the door to let him back in and noticed prying eyes further down the hall.

"I guess no one wants to give us any time to ourselves." Ranma said it so meekly and from right beside her.

It never stopped to amaze her how swift and quiet he could move.

"May I umm…come in now?" Ranma looked at Akane. The light was still off in her room and moonlight was coming in through the still open window. Her short dark hair glistened in the moonlight and he realized quickly his heartbeat grew faster as he noticed the curves of her body. He had seen her naked by accident twice before when he first moved in. Yet he didn't remember her body being so women like.

Akane felt electricity race through her body at the way Ranma looked at her. Something in his gaze made her happy, and the normal worry in his eyes had been replaced with awe.

"Ok come in because we do need to talk." Akane felt shivers as his chest brushed her should on his way in the room. She could feel the muscles under his silk red Chinese shirt as he passed her. Thoughts of how she had felt safe in his arms any of the countless times he had saved her flooded her mind.

With Ranma around one thing was certain, trouble would follow him like he was a magnet. Yet he never failed to save her if she got caught up in it. She knew it wasn't him looking for trouble, it just happened.

"Hey Akane, they are all at the door you want to go somewhere a little more private and talk?" Ranma looked at her for an answer.

"Uhh sure, but where should we go and I will need to change again."

Ranma smile didn't put Akane at ease as he picked her up in his arm and jumped up to the windowsill. "Hold on!" And with a quick motion he grabbed the edge of the roof and pulled them both up.

Akane was an accomplished martial artist that was no weakling, but the ease with which Ranma did something like this never stopped her amazement. She knew his life of martial arts training had left him strong and fast, but at time he almost seemed inhuman.

Once safely on the roof he sat her down. "Ok I think we should be safe to talk up here." She was still looking at him, right into his eyes.

Their hearts seemed to race as one as they looked at each other. The beating falling into a matching rhythm, her arms still clasped tightly around his neck and his arms around her.

Ranma began to blush and hope she couldn't see it in the dark of night.

Reality finally took control of Akane again and she let her arms slide slowly away from his neck.

Ranma struggled inside as he took his arms away from her. The redness in his face grew as his hands moved over waist and brushed her arms. Then he did something completely out of character for him. He held her hand.

Akane's heart picked up speed as Ranma's hands slid around her body, but when he took her hand she thought she might faint.

"If you want me to let you umm…if you want me to let your hand go just say so." He still looked at her waiting for an answer. "I just don't want you to fall of anything." He said this quickly trying to cover his worry.

"You baka."

It was a whisper but he was sure he had heard it. He was about to let her hand go when she squeezed it and sat down. Quickly he sat on the roof beside her and laid back. His free left hand going behind his head as he marveled at how she looked in the moonlight.

They never did have their talk that night, but Akane had seen a change talk place in Ranma. She knew that if she let him move at his pace it would be a slow kindling to a relationship, but he seemed ready for the first step. And this was going to be full of excitement and fun she felt. The only thing she had left to do was tell the baka how much she loved him. But it wasn't the time yet, but she could wait knowing he cared for her to.


End file.
